We’ve been experiencing a growing trend…hearing more and more from parents. Not camper parents mind you, but summer staff parents. Parents that want to know more about what their kid is doing at camp, when do they have time off, or even asking if they can have their child take time off. Alongside this are the comments from summer staff saying, “my parents said I should ask for this,” or “my parents said I need this time off.” Interestingly, these conversations aren’t happening during the hiring process, but rather come days before they “need” that time off. 

The crux of it is, is that I don’t know that parents always see camp as a “real” job. Because of this, they feel like their child can come and go as they please, and that the schedule their child agreed to is not something they need to be held accountable for. Or, when their child reaches out about some aspect of camp “being hard,” rather than encouraging them to work through it, they tell them to come home. I certainly don’t think all parents are this way, but over the past few years, the occurrences of this happening have been increasingly greater. In response, we wanted to do something that would help mitigate frustrations and bring families into the fold; to educate families on what camp is, and how to help their child thrive while here.

Therefore, we have started two different projects. The first is a ‘Staff Parent Zoom Meeting’ right before staff training begins. During this meeting we share things like:

·      What camp is all about

·      What their child will be doing while working here

·      How this is a “real” job with real expectations and accountability

·      What they will be learning,

·      How to help their child through the summer

·      How to request time off, and why we cannot always grant the requests with short notice

After the presentation, there is time for questions and answers.

This coincides with the second project…

We decided to create a ‘Staff Parent Handbook’ much like the parent handbook sent to youth camper families. It has all the general helpful stuff in there – staff training dates, what to pack, and how to mail stuff to camp. We also include:

·      A glossary of camp terms they may hear when asking their child about their summer

·      Who we are and why we do what we do

·      A list of attributes/skills their child will gain while working at camp - stamina, public speaking, project management, facilitation skills, work ethic, etc.

·      A schedule outlining what staff does on a day-to-day basis

·      A FAQ of scenarios that could happen at camp during their child’s time on staff

·      Policies on things like requesting time off, staff relationships, cell phone use

·      Suggestions and information on how they as parents can help
 
 

What we have discovered through these two projects has helped us build support within, and from, the family. Knowing why, what, and how we do camp gives them the opportunity to support their child’s professional development, and they know we are an advocate for their child's growth.

Is it a perfect system? No, of course not. We run into the same problem that all of us do with our campers… even with the best communication, they still may not take the time to read or listen. But for those families that do, it has been quite transformative. 

~ Brad "BJ" Murray
   Camp Wood YMCA